A/N: I don't own Darquesse, Valkyrie, Ghastly, Skulduggery, Lord Vile, Anton, Corrival, Dex, Saracen, Erskine or Larrikin.
There was a movement and I let my gaze drift over to Ghastly, who handed his gun to Erskine, leaned against a porch beam and folded his arms. "How's the word going to get out, Darquesse? Hotel's empty and you just got rid of the witnesses. I didn't see anything."
"And if you get rid of the shadows, and the hair and eyes-" Skulduggery offered. I looked at him amused, and let myself become normal again. "This is all my fault entirely, you know. I should have showed them Lord Vile's tender mercies. I didn't think." I shrugged then looked at Anton.
I was going to ask him if he was still going to shoot me, but Corrival interrupted. "And if you died today, who would get me cakes and crosswords?" He offered playfully.
"And make me dinner?" Dex whined.
I laughed and looked at Anton, who, at last, was smiling. He handed Daisy to Saracen and stepped off the porch. I ran to him and Anton captured me in his arms, initiating a kiss both as sweet as the first time and as searing as our last. He lifted me off the ground, taking the kiss deeper, and when he at last set me down my knees buckled and I felt distinctly dizzy.
The Dead Men cheered and mobbed me with affection as I returned to the Hotel. I held each of them close, listening to and returning words of affection, then went inside, to find Larrikin. "Mama!" He ran towards me and I scooped him up in my arms, peppering that beloved face with kisses.
"Sorry I frightened you, sweetheart. But no one touches you or anyone else in our family. Now I have to stay hidden, OK? So no telling what you saw." I said gently and he nodded, then clung tighter. I cuddled him into me, then steered him into the kitchen. I was so tame that my first instinct was to feed everyone but I didn't mind.
"Oh, no, Valkyrie. We all go out, to celebrate. After a few things outside are taken care of." Anton said, taking me into his arms. "And do you believe me yet, when I tell you you're the first woman?" I looked into his grey eyes and nodded. I did.
"First woman to what?" Larrikin asked and I laughed.
"To be a Dead Man. Now go wash up, Lar. We're going out." I said and he was off like a bullet, squealing with joy.
Anton smiled fondly after him. "He remembers more each day. And it's him remembering, not us feeding him stories. This is the part where I tell you that one day, perhaps soon, he's going to undergo a startling transformation. And I don't mean growing up. He chose the path of being born, but he's still the old Larrikin. It will happen one day, but his age will catch up with him. That's not going to bother you is it?"
"Having a son centuries older than me? It actually makes sense in this family. So, no, it doesn't. He ever tell any of you why?"
Larrikin, returning, answered himself. "I wanted you for a mom. Could have come back as an adult, and today wouldn't have happened, I guess. I didn't think things through, huh?"
"No, sweetie. You thought about right." I said taking him into my arms and smiling down at my son.
Whee, that was fun! Now I can leave it there, or do more, you have to let me know.